Beloved in Christ Ministry

John 11:41–42 41 … And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 And I know that You always hear Me… After Jesus had said these words, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And the man who had been dead for four days came out of his tomb! This is one of the greatest miracles that Jesus performed. Lazarus had been dead for four days when Jesus raised him to life. Wouldn’t you agree that death is indeed an extreme problem? Having no money in the bank, being sick and losing your job, bad as they are, are not as bad as being dead! But what I want you to see is this: If Jesus, in the most extreme of problems, shows us that the solution is still, “Father, I thank You,” then how much more should we thank God in the midst of the less serious problems we face. If thanksgiving can raise the dead, then let us give thanks in spite of the negative circumstances and we will see victory

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “But some scoundrels said, ‘How can this fellow save us?’ They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.” (1 Samuel 10:27, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria In scr

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “My times are in your hands...” (Psalm 31:15, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria In life, oftentimes we are waiting for something; waiting for a dream to come to pass, waiting to mee

Meditate On For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14 Because of the cross of Jesus Christ, God is free to righteously bless all who simply believe in Him. The cross frees God to be gracious toward us even when we are undeserving, because Jesus bore the punishment for our sins. The more you believe this and meditate on this truth, the more you put yourself under the grace of God. What happens when you are under God’s grace? The Bible tells us that sin and all its effects will not have dominion in your life when you are under God’s grace. Suppose your doctor has told you that you have a weak heart. Go to God and say, “Father, I bring my heart to You and I put it under Your grace.” Something happens when you do that. The health of your heart no longer depends on what the specialists have said, or how severe the symptoms are. It doesn’t depend on your ability to do this or that. It now depends on

Philippians 4:6 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; You would probably have read this verse before, but would you like to know how to apply it in your everyday life? Let me give you an illustration to help you. Let’s say that you are one of those in your company eligible for a promotion and you will know tomorrow whether you get it. You want the promotion badly because it means more income for your family. So you lie in bed at night tossing and turning. You pray, “Father, please take away all my worries about this promotion. Give me faith.” One hour later, you are more anxious than ever. It seems like God is not answering your prayer! How come? Because you are not doing it God’s way. Pray like this instead: “Father, I cast all my worries about the promotion into Your loving hands because You care for me and love me.” The Bible tel

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him.” (Acts 11:2, NIV) TODAY’S WORD  from Joel and Victoria One time Jesus was in the temple. It was on the Sabbath, their day of rest. He saw a man with a withered hand. Jesus simply said, “Stretch forth your hand,” and immediately the man was healed. The religious leaders, the Pharisees, were there and didn’t like Jesus. Even though He did something great, they ridiculed Him for doing it on the Sabbath, the day of rest. Some people, no matter what you do, are not going to be for you. Even if you changed, met all their demands and did everything they asked, they would still find something wrong. I’ve learned that we can all save a lot of heartache and pain by learning to ignore those critical voices. You don’t need those people’s approval. You don’t have to have them cheering you on. They may try to make you look bad, but if you will stay on the high road and let God fight your

Deuteronomy 28:5 5 “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. In Bible times, reapers carried baskets on their backs to collect the harvest from the fields. They had to ensure that their baskets were strong and sturdy, so that what they collected would not fall out. The women of that day used kneading bowls to knead dough for making bread. If they used poor-quality bowls which broke easily, they would not be able to make bread. So baskets and kneading bowls in those days represented the means by which one got his tangible blessings. Beloved, your Father in heaven does not want you to worry about the means by which you get your blessings. Because of the sacrifice of Christ, He says to you, “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.” This means that if you are a cab driver, your cab will not break down on your rounds because God says to you, “Blessed shall be your cab.” If you are a businessman, your capital investment will not fail you because God says

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ...” (2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria Isn’t it wonderful to know that God promises to always lead

John 16:23 23 “… Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Do you always end your prayers with “in Jesus’ name”? Maybe your Sunday school teacher taught you to do this, or maybe you have heard church leaders and other believers utter it at the end of their prayers. I used to say “in Jesus’ name” very quickly as if those were magic words that would get my prayers answered. Then, one day, I heard the Lord asking me why I was doing that. The Lord wanted me to realize that whenever I pray and say “in Jesus’ name”, I am putting my entire faith for my prayer to be answered not in who I am or what I have done, but in the person and name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and what He has done at the cross! Whenever we ask God for anything in Jesus’ name, Jesus says to us, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.” This means that in your

the Lord will bless His people with peace [ shalom ]. Psalm 29:11 The Hebrew word shalom , which is usually translated as “peace” in the Old Testament, is a very rich word. It doesn’t just mean “peace of mind.” It also means health, good success, safety and one’s total wellness. Now, do you know that the root word of shalom is shalam ? Shalam means to make good, to pay or to recompense. So my friend, the reason you can walk in God’s shalom today is that Jesus through the cross has paid for it to be yours. Health, provision, safety and a mind that is sharp and sound are yours for the taking because Jesus has purchased shalom for you with His blood! Beloved, I encourage you to meditate on this. Thank God for His perfect sacrifice of His Son and say, “Father, I receive the shalom that Jesus died to give me—peace of mind, wholeness, provision and health in every cell, every organ, every function of my body, and for every area of my life!” Amen! Now, ex

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!” (1 Chronicles 16:34, AMP) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria What you dwell on is what you wi

1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people... God calls us “a royal priesthood”. This means that we are kings as well as priests under the king-priesthood of Jesus Christ. This has never happened before in the history of God’s people. In the Old Testament, kings and priests were two distinct groups of people. You were either a king or priest, but not both at the same time. Today, because we are in Christ, we are king-priests — a royal priesthood. This means that we have a double portion of speaking power because as kings, “Where the word of a king is, there is power” (Ecclesiastes 8:4), and as priests, “by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled”. (Deuteronomy 21:5) So if you are a Christian businessman, you will have an edge over worldly businessmen. What you say about your business deals will come to pass. And if you are falsely accused,

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “...imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” (Hebrews 6:12, NIV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Hebrews 2:17 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. In the Old Testament, the Israelites’ standing as a nation before God was wrapped up in the standing of their high priest. What the high priest was before God, so was the entire nation before God. If the high priest sinned, he brought guilt on his nation, and God would reject the entire nation no matter how law-abiding the people were or how faithful they were in bringing their sacrifices. Conversely, if their high priest was without fault and acceptable to God, God would accept the whole nation even if the people were sinful. Unfortunately, the high priests of Israel often failed because like any human being, they were imperfect. Thank God that today, you and I have Jesus as our High Priest, who is 100 per cent Man

the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… Mark 10:45 God wants to do wonders and perform miracles in your life. He loves doing good to His people. He loves to use His power to love His people. That’s why He wants you to draw on and “use” His goodness. Faith is nothing more than—and I say this reverently—seeing and using God’s goodness. He loves to be utilized because He “did not come to be served, but to serve.” Just look at how Jesus ministered to people. When the woman with the issue of blood used His power, it pleased Him. He didn’t want to leave until He got to speak with this woman who had touched Him (Mark 5:25–34). When He was weary and tired at Jacob’s well, a Samaritan woman came to draw water and ended up drawing from Him—at His invitation. He was even strengthened and rejuvenated as He ministered to her and gave her the water of life (John 4:5–34). Beloved, God’s love waits on you to be used. God wants to be your bread of lif

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26 The Holy Communion is a time for us to remember our Lord Jesus and what He has accomplished for us in His sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11:24–25). He bore those stripes so that we can be healed. On the cross, He took not just our sins, but also our sicknesses and pains (Isaiah 53:4–5, YLT). His blood was shed so that we could be forgiven of every sin (Matthew 26:28). God wants us to remember what Jesus did “often.” His Word says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Believers in the early church also had the habit of partaking of the Communion together, “breaking bread from house to house” (Acts 2:46). So take the Communion often. If you have a sickness that is serious or long-term, I encourage you to take the Communion daily. It gives you a chance to proclaim the Lord’s de

2 Corinthians 4:7 7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. The verse tells us that we have “this treasure” in earthen vessels. Who is the treasure? Christ! Who are the earthen vessels here? You and I! Thank God the treasure is in the earthen vessels. My friend, Christ the treasure is in you. So don’t get frustrated when you see your “earthiness”. You will always be “earthen” as long as you are in your mortal body, but remember that Christ the treasure is in you. Should you lose your cool with your spouse or children, remember that Christ in you is your patience. When I feel impatient, I don’t pray, “Lord Jesus, give me patience... now!” No, I look to Jesus and I say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are my patience.” In my younger days and even when I first got married, I had a bad temper. I tried all sorts of anger management techniques, but I never got

Luke 5:9 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; As a young Christian, I grew up hearing preachers say that God only supplies our needs, not our wants. Yet, in the Bible, God clearly shows us that He wants to meet not just our needs, but also our wants. For example, the famous “shepherd psalm” begins with “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want ”. (Psalm 23:1) Another psalm says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” (Psalm 34:9–10) One of the names of our God is Jehovah Jireh , which means “the all-providing One”. He provides more than enough. The God of more-than-enough came in the flesh and walked among His people. And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He did not give His disciples small blessings. That is why He said to Peter,

…your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:8 God wants you to have a real relationship with Him. He wants you to talk freely with Him without obligation or a time limit. When you meet someone you love at a café for a chat, do you put a clock in front of him or her and say, “I’ll give you an hour. Your time starts now”? Of course not! You don’t rigidly follow some regimen when you talk to someone you truly have a relationship with. My friend, that’s what your prayer times with God ought to be—a flow, not a regimental routine you carry our legalistically. For example, you might be troubled about something and when you talk to God about it, time just passes so quickly. Before you know it, an hour has passed. At other times, it may just be a short prayer like, “Father, please get me out of this traffic jam.” Then, there are times you just want to close your door and get on your knees to pray. Today, remember that God want

Leviticus 2:11 11 ‘No grain offering which you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the Lord made by fire. When I was a young Christian, I heard of an illustration for Psalm 23 about shepherds who sometimes break the legs of sheep which habitually stray, so as to teach them not to stray. That erroneous teaching — “The Lord is my Shepherd, He breaketh my legs” — stuck with me for years, causing me needless fear of God’s punishment when I felt that I had strayed from Him. Such erroneous teachings are what God’s Word refers to as “leaven”. That is why Jesus cautioned His disciples, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” (Matthew 16:6) The leaven of the Pharisees was their doctrine of legalism, which judges and condemns people who fail to keep God’s laws. The leaven of the Sadducees was their doctrine of humanism, which disco

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.” (Psalm 100:4, NKJV) TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria As believers, we h

Deuteronomy 28:12 12 The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. In the Bible, rain usually speaks of blessings. Even today, Israelis thank God when it rains because they know that when He gives them rain, their blessings will be plentiful. Their cattle will feed in large green pastures and eat cured, winnowed fodder. And when they see rivers and streams of water flowing from their mountains and hills (Isaiah 30:23–25), they know that times of refreshing have come. Likewise, you can expect God to rain His blessings on you and bless the work of your hands. Then, you will come to a place where you will “lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow”. In fact, Jesus wants you to know that this is a blessing which He died to give you because when He died, He did not even hav